A barometer from the Conseil des prélèvements obligatoires, released on November 27, indicates that tax consent remains high in France. Yet, a growing majority of French people voice dissatisfaction with public finance management. Taxpayers believe public services could improve without increasing levies.
The third barometer on tax consent, conducted by Harris Interactive-Toluna with 3,055 French adults, highlights a firmly rooted fiscal civic duty. For 79% of respondents, paying taxes and social contributions is a civic act. Practices such as tax fraud, fiscal exile, and undeclared work are widely condemned.
Nevertheless, 78% of French people consider the overall tax level too high. Above all, dissatisfaction with public money usage stands at 72%, up from 65% in 2021 and 68% in 2023. This trend partly stems from the public deficit overrun in 2023 and 2024, soaring debt, and challenges in passing a budget, conveying an image of uncontrolled national finances.
The Conseil des prélèvements obligatoires, an independent body affiliated with the Cour des comptes, observes that this fiscal credibility is a key asset for France in the eyes of rating agencies and financial markets. A majority of respondents believes public service quality can improve without raising compulsory levies, or even by reducing them.